Northern Central Railroad / Hereford Volunteer Association, Inc.

Home
United States
Monkton, MD
Northern Central Railroad / Hereford Volunteer Association, Inc.

Directions Website Contact the organization

We are a non-profit group that lends support to the Torrey C Brown/NCR trail area of Gunpowder Falls State Parks. Brown Rail Trail.

We raise funds and create activities that reflect good stewardship of the trail. Please visit our website at tcbncrtrail.org to donate. The Northern Central Railroad / Hereford Volunteer Association, Inc. is a non-profit group that was chartered in 1995. We support the Gunpowder Falls State Parks in the Hereford Area and Torrey C. We are an all volunteer staff and put our efforts into trail maintenance, education programs, providing limited services on the trail, and raising money to support the trail.. Our vision is to cultivate an encounter for park users that is enjoyable, engaging, and constantly fixed on the notion of improvement to develop Gunpowder Falls State Park, Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail and the Hereford Area into a regionally recognized experience.

10/29/2026

You know the trail—but do you know what it looked and felt like when it was an active railroad line?

We’re kicking off a new speaker series exploring the history, natural beauty, and wildlife of the Torrey C. Brown/NCR Trail. As well as the communities along it.

First up: railroad historian Frank Wrabel presents “Sparks to Monkton: The NCR, Then and Now.” Through historic photographs and present-day views of four stations, discover how the railroad shaped familiar places and how they’ve changed.

Join us for an enjoyable evening of local history—and see your next trip along the trail a little differently!

Wednesday, November 11
7–8:30 PM
Manor Mill, 2029 Monkton Road
Free! Reserve your spot:
https://www.manor-mill.com/event/sgcpc-sparks-to-monkton

Presented by the NCR/Hereford Volunteer Association in conjunction with the Sparks-Glencoe Community Planning Council.

The top photo is a July 30, 1957 photo by J.W. Wolf-Collection Frank Wrabel

10/28/2026

Come for dinner. Take home dessert. Support the trail!
Join us Thursday, November 5, from 3–9 PM at Texas Roadhouse in Hunt Valley. Bring your family, invite a fellow trail lover, and let someone else handle the cooking!

Give the attached flyer to your server or to-go server, and Texas Roadhouse will donate 10% of your check to the NCR/Hereford Volunteer Association.

Our volunteers will also be at the entrance with homebaked cookies and brownies, available for a donation. Too full for dessert? Take some home for later!

11300 McCormick Road, Hunt Valley
Dine in or take out—and remember your flyer!

Want to contribute baked goods? Contact Carol at [email protected].

10/23/2026

Tomorrow! Saturday October 24th from 9am to Noon at the Paper Mill Parking Lot is our next Volunteer Service Project of 2026.
We will just do some clean up needed in the area and trimming at the intersection of the trail and Paper Mill Rd.

What to bring:

Long-sleeve shirt and long pants

Closed-toe shoes

Gloves, water, and sunscreen

Optional: your own small hand tools (pruners, loppers, etc.)

Note: We will provide tools for our cleanup, but feel free to bring your own if you prefer.

Come for whatever time you can spare — even if it's just part of the time, we’d love to have you.

10/21/2026

Sometimes the most interesting pieces of history are glimpses of everyday life.

This wonderful photograph was among those shared with us at Saturday's History Harvest at Monkton Station. It's a reminder that preserving local history isn't just about railroads, buildings, and dates. It's also about the people who lived here and the lives they led.

A big thank-you to everyone who volunteered at our two History Harvest events in September and October, and to the community members who brought photographs, documents, and stories to share. Your contributions are helping us build a richer picture of the Northern Central Railway and the communities along its route.

And we're not finished! If you have photographs, documents, or stories relating to the railroad or the surrounding communities, we'd love to hear from you. You don't have to wait for another event; just send us a message.

Photograph courtesy of Tom Reedy, Stiffler home in Parkton, date unknown.

10/20/2026

Today’s the day—let Woodfire Kitchen handle the cooking!

Enjoy lunch or dinner and support the trail: our fundraiser runs today, Tuesday, October 20, from 11 AM–8 PM.

Then join us at Monkton Station at 7:30 PM for our monthly get-together. Come catch up, hear what’s happening, and bring your ideas. New faces are always welcome!

10/19/2026

Tomorrow’s dinner plans? Taken care of!

Head to Woodfire Kitchen for a meal that supports the trail, then join us at Monkton Station at 7:30 PM for our monthly get-together. Catch up, hear what’s happening, and bring your ideas!

The fundraiser runs 11 AM–8 PM Tuesday, October 20, so lunch counts too.

10/17/2026

Today! History Harvest, 11 AM–2 PM at Monkton Station.
Our volunteers are anxious to greet you!
Have an old photograph, document, postcard, railroad item, or other piece of local history tucked away somewhere? Bring it with you today.
We’re building the collection and stories that will help shape the renewed Monkton Station Museum. We can scan many photographs and documents while you’re there — you keep the originals — and we’d also love to hear your memories and stories of the railroad, the trail, Monkton, and the surrounding communities.
You never know what may turn out to be an important piece of our local history.
HISTORY HARVEST DAY
Monkton Station
Today, 11AM - 2 PM.
Bring your photos. Bring your stories. Help us preserve our history.

10/15/2026

History Harvest is still on this Saturday, October 17, 11–2 at Monkton Station!
Trail cleanup update: the cleanup originally scheduled for Saturday has moved to October 24 at Paper Mill Road.

10/12/2026

What does a pig have to do with railroad history?

Quite a bit, actually!

This photograph was brought to our first History Harvest by someone whose family owned a farm near the Northern Central Railway.

We're collecting more than railroad photographs. We're preserving the stories of the families, farms, businesses, and communities that grew up along the line.

Have an old photograph or family story to share?

Join us for our next History Harvest, Saturday, October 17, 11 AM–2 PM at Monkton Station.

We'll digitize your photographs and documents, and you'll keep the originals.

Photo courtesy of Donald Sloat.

10/09/2026

Every photograph and every old object has a story. We’d love to hear yours!

Our first History Harvest brought neighbors together to share photographs, treasured objects, and memories. Join us for the next one:

Saturday, October 17
11 AM–2 PM
Monkton Station

Bring photographs, letters, documents, or an object connected to Monkton, the Northern Central Railway, or the surrounding communities. We can scan photographs and documents, photograph objects, and record the stories behind them. You keep your originals; no donation is necessary.

No materials to bring? Your memories are welcome, too!

Help us preserve our community’s history, and please share this invitation with someone who might have a story to tell.

Address

Monkton Station
Monkton, MD
21111

Website

http://www.tcbncrtrail.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Northern Central Railroad / Hereford Volunteer Association, Inc. posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.